If you build it, they will come: an art school and San Miguel

Calle Aldama & Cardo by Karen Lee Dunn of San Miguel de Allende.

Leigh Thelmadatter writing for Mexico News Daily, says, “Mexico has always attracted adventurous foreigners looking for something different, but the expat enclave phenomenon we know now in San Miguel de Allende began in the 20th century.

San Miguel is not the first, nor the last, but it is the best known, especially north of the border. The first was Taxco, just three hours from Mexico City.

In the 1920s, it attracted foreigners and artists, some famous for its scenery and “authentic” Mexican atmosphere. But by the late 1930s, there were “too many” foreigners, leading some to look for an alternative.

Around that same time, a Peruvian artist discovered the dying town of San Miguel de Allende. The loss of the commercial silver routes and the Mexican Revolution had decimated the local economy. However, Felipe Cossío de Pomar “fell in love with the light” there and envisioned the town as the “new Bauhaus” to give artists a sanctuary to work in.

He convinced the Mexican government to let him use an old convent (today the main cultural center) to establish an art school. Cossío had many contacts with prominent artists and intellectuals in Mexico and abroad and succeeded in promoting San Miguel as the new “authentic Mexican” experience.

Cossío got the school started, but it was the work of American Stirling Dickinson that gave the school and San Miguel its standing among North Americans. He continued to promote the town as an “undiscovered gem,” but the real success came when he got the school accredited with the U.S. government to receive World War II G.I. Bill money.

However, the school’s success also brought some major headaches. The main issue was an already existing conflict between the bohemian artists of the school and the rather conservative Catholic locals. This was exacerbated by hundreds of American GIs.

In addition, students expected more from their tuition money and even staged a strike that divided the entire population. To satisfy the students, the school hired David Alfaro Siqueiros to paint a mural, but his radical politics proved completely unacceptable to the townspeople. His unfinished mural can still be seen today in the Centro Cultural Ignacio Ramírez El Nigromante.

The situation caused an international scandal, so the Mexican government stepped in. It took over, changing the school’s name to the current Instituto Allende. It was moved to the De la Cana Hacienda on the outskirts of town, a larger space, but G.I. Bill accreditation was lost.

The school is not the main reason why San Miguel attracts so many artists and retirees today. In fact, it is peripheral to life in San Miguel at best.

Although the school’s turbulent heyday lasted only a few years, the GIs who studied there remembered San Miguel fondly. When they began reaching retirement age, more than a few decided to return. They bought the old, dilapidated colonial structures and fixed them up to create the historic center as it exists today.

As their numbers grew, businesses sprang up, and infrastructure was improved, starting a snowball effect that continues to this day. San Miguel is now a tourist destination and a World Heritage Site. Condé Nast Traveler named it the best city in the world to live. The town now attracts tourists, as well as moneyed Mexicans who buy weekend homes here.

Despite the near irrelevance of the Instituto Allende and the influx of non-artist retirees, art remains an important element of life in San Miguel. The returning GIs never lost their interest, whether they had pursued a career in art or not, they certainly were involved with it (again).

To this day, the town attracts Mexican and foreign artists of retirement age and younger. The concentration of residents with the economic means to buy art means that San Miguel is Mexico’s second most important domestic art market after Mexico City.

But the picture isn’t entirely rosy. Aside from the urban sprawl and traffic that just seems to be getting worse, the center has been derided as a “Disneyland” version of Mexico — too perfect. Most locals cannot afford to live there and have moved to the less scenic periphery. These negatives have prompted another search for the “authentic Mexican experience” in places such as Coatepec, Veracruz, and San Cristóbal, Chiapas, whose residents worry that too many “gringos” will lead their town to San Miguel’s fate.”

SAN MIGUEL DE ALLENDE — A favorite destination

By Rodrigo Cervantes/KJZZ

SAN MIGUEL DE ALLENDE — A favorite destination in Mexico for American retirees and tourists is San Miguel de Allende. The increasing influx of travelers to this small, colonial town in the center of Mexico is bringing with it a growing demand for real estate, and also concerns for the fate of the city’s natural and historical legacy.

Downtown San Miguel has a bohemian, but quite a cosmopolitan vibe in its restaurants, cafés, and bars. For decades, this historic place has attracted travelers and immigrants that have helped create this atmosphere.

The town currently has 170,000 inhabitants, and nearly 8 percent of them are foreigners — the vast majority, American retirees. But more recently, San Miguel de Allende has become a hotspot for younger expats with home offices, premium Mexican tourists and investors with strong buying power.

“There are a lot of people in their mid 20s and 30s bringing their family and raising their children here,” said Teri Kavanagh, a Los Angeles native currently working as a liaison with the foreign community for the city’s government.

Kavanagh thinks that American immigrants come for a more peaceful and less expensive lifestyle.

“I definitely think is less stressful, more family oriented. And you get more for your money, and you get more quality of life for your money,” she said.

But Kavanagh also notices the rising prices of property. Whenever a city becomes popular, real estate goes up, she said.

And as the popularity increases, fewer homes become available, explained Maryanne Allen, a sales associate at Agave-Sotheby’s Realty in San Miguel.

 “We see not as much inventory available; it’s getting better with all the building and everything, but the inventory is low, and the demand is high,” said Allen.

San Miguel’s New Face

The new constructions that Allen refers to are mainly on the outskirts of San Miguel de Allende, where a mall and golf courses are bringing a new face to the once-bucolic area.

In the hilly southwest part of the city sits a 120-acre lot with views of the old town called “Colinas de San Miguel.” Janielle Penner from Phoenix is an international real estate broker managing the project.

“We know that the market in Phoenix is quite hot, and actually, we know that the same is true here, in San Miguel,” Penner said.

Penner said they don’t want to build a project for the second home market, as they see the potential of bringing the “live/work” concept with premium houses and even a luxury hotel designed by a prestigious architect.

“We’re really excited about this potential project, as San Miguel happens to be in the heart center of Mexico,” she said.

Penner thinks the new developments and population growth in the area are challenging, but it’s also helping improve the region and the market.

“I think the problem and the opportunity kind of go hand in hand,” she said.

But the growth of the city and the real estate boom have become a serious concern to some local leaders.

Preservation And Growth

Guillermo González Engelbrecht is the director of the San Miguel de Allende Tourism Board.

He proudly describes the buildings surrounding San Miguel’s central square: the house of Ignacio Allende, the first soldier of the country, the historical homes turned into restaurants and museums, the city council, which is the first city council of independent Mexico, the emblematic neo-Gothic style parish church.

These pink limestone constructions are the main reason why the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) designated San Miguel’s old downtown as a world heritage site, a nomination that has brought big responsibilities.

 “Well, I wish we got money! No money, but we got obligations,” González said.

He said the 64 blocks protected by UNESCO need to be carefully preserved: for example, using certain kinds of traditional floors, applying only certain terracotta colors, leaving facades and buildings intact, avoiding modern signs.

But many homeowners decided to sell their properties or transform them into businesses.

“People see that there’s money in this town, and they want to make big business, and it’s not usually the best for the city,” González said. “We love San Miguel, we love the way it is, and we want to keep it like this.”

The local authorities decided to temporarily block anyone from selling, buying or remodeling downtown properties while new regulations come in a few months. New research will help set up limits to the growth of San Miguel.

The expansion of the city is unsettling, and the authorities want to control it. Water supply and visual noise brought by contemporary constructions on the surrounding hills could become a problem.

“That’s actually the biggest problem we’ve had,” González said. “We had two administrations from the government before that let that happen, and we don’t want it to happen again.”

Richard Shaw is the Phoenix developer that co-owns the Colinas de San Miguel lot. He said they’ve been filing the proper paperwork, including documents to preserve ancient Otomí ruins that fall into their land.

Shaw wants to start building this year and is still working to find a local partner. The developer thinks Mexican businesses are relationship-driven, which could be an inconvenience sometimes, but not an obstacle.

“You know, there’s politics, so if you don’t have relationships, or have bad relationships, it will affect how you’re gonna succeed,” Shaw said.

And while Shaw and other investors bet on the prosperity brought by the boom of the realty market, locals wait for the new guidelines to protect their town’s history and nature.

San Miguel vs. Guanajuato

Most Beautiful Streets in the World

The historic and colorful Aldama street in San Miguel De Allende Mexico
Photo: Getty Images/tdphotostock

San Miguel De Allende, Mexico The historic and colorful Aldama Street in San Miguel De Allende is a must-see for any traveler heading to centrally located Mexican city. Roughly 170 miles north of Mexico City, San Miguel De Allende was voted the "2013 Best City in the World" by Travel + Leisure.

Viernes de Dolores

If you are open to meeting strangers in San Miguel, you can learn much. I was walking Javier this morning, stopped to say good morning buenos dias to a man who looked familiar to me.

"Are you celebrating Viernes de Dolores tomorrow?" he said.

"What is that?"

He explained April 12, 2019, is "Friday of Dolores."It corresponds to the Friday before Palm Sunday. It is within the "last week of Lent," known as the Week of Passion. In some localities, it is considered as the beginning of the Holy Week.

Many celebrate with altars in their homes, and they share food items with neighbors and friends. it is a devotion to make an altar to the Virgin of the sorrows of 7 steps. Each step symbolizes the  7 weeks of Lent. The first tier has an image of Christo Ariva. It is covered with white Savannah and decorated with maize or wheat. They are beautiful as offerings. Oranges are also placed as a symbol of the stones of the road to Calvary and lit with candles. At nightfall, people come to visit them and ask questions. When they arrive (the Virgin is already crying), the people of the house say so. They go over and give them a glass of fresh water. of Jamaica or Tamarindo or of the fruit that they wish symbolizing the tears that the painful one shed.

Martha Hernandez explains, “As part of their gratitude for visiting their homes, families give paletas, nine fresh waters, capirotada, and pumpkinlike  preserves.”

Look what I learned about San Miguel, Mexico from Juan by slowing down and showing an interest. Juan invited us to view his family’s altar.

PHOTO: ODNnews

Number Three

You remember the commercial with the Russian accent saying "What a country!"? Well, yesterday afternoon, Nancy and Bob Row hosted a Christmas party in their home. All I can say is, "What a party

All sorts of food, desserts, and drink spread across tables greeted us as we walked in. Everyone was required to wear a Christmas hat. We all brought presents to exchange, and the final event was bashing a Mexican piñata filled with candy and gifts.

I was touched by Will Kelley,s present to me. Before the gift exchange, I was asked to draw a number. I pulled a number 3. Will said I thought I pulled that number. I reached into the bag and again the number 3 came up. He asked Bev to pull a number. She pulled a number 3! Then Will presented me with a tin box decorated with pictures of Russell Wilson, the Seattle Seahawks quarterback, also #3.

When we all were in Isla Mujeres, will and I went to a sports bar and watched the Seahawks game. It was a good game but our team lost. I said I wanted a Seahawks cap. I opened the tin box and inside was an autographed picture of Russell Wilson. It said, "Mike and Bev--losing football games and suitcases sucks! Be careful out there.
Signed Russell Wilson #3 Go Seahawks!

Inside the tin can was a stonewashed blue cap with a Seattle logo with la calaca.

In Isla Mujeres, I put our house keys in my small black suitcase. When Bajiogo unloaded our luggage at our house, I discovered the suitcase was missing. We were locked out. Many phone calls later, we discovered Sheila had taken my suitcase as hers. We retrieved the suitcase, found the keys, and entered our house.

Inside the tin can was an empty Silk Almond milk carton. On the box were these words: Missing suitcase reward offered underneath a picture of the suitcase. On the back of the carton was a picture of the suitcase with these words: Missing suitcase. Please call Bev and Mike Landfair, because their keys are in it & they can't get into their house.

To top it off Will made a copy of our house key (NOT) and attached it to the inside of the hat so I would never be in that position again.

That whole gag took a lot of effort, planning, and a few pesos to pull off. It resulted in quite a few laughs. For me, I was touched at how generous Will is of his time how great friends are.

The Book Fair

Yesterday was the Book Fair at Casa Europa on Calle de San Francisco. The stone building could soon be the cultural center of San Miguel. 

I was there selling my book "The Way Back Poems of addiction and recovery." I called it a perfect Christmas gift for your drunk relatives. Ok, not everyone laughed. Maybe my humor was too close to home.

You have to be careful not to spend all your proceeds on things others are selling.  We did not make it. I sold three books for 200 pesos each, then Bev bought a calendar, three Christmas greeting cards, a necklace from Kristine Scherber and I bought two books. The first book was written by Margaret Paul titled "Conversations with Artists." The book includes conversations with Peter Leventhal, Keith Miller, Toller Cranston, the late Mary Rapp,  andTom and Donna Dickson, etc. Those are the artists I'm most familiar. The book is 258 pages and has many pictures. You can find it on Amazon.

My second book purchase was written by Marge Fahey titled "Under the Spell of San Miguel." This is an Insiders Guide to the city. Marge is a tour guide of House and Garden Tours advertised every week in Attencion.

The guide is a spiral bound notebook small enough to carry in your back pocket. It measures  4+ X 7+ inches. It is filled with answers to the newly arrived questions:

1. Getting Around
2. Etiquette and Useful Spanish Phrases
3. Historical Overview
4. Places of Interest
5. Calendar of Holidays and Fiestas - One of the first questions could be "What do the bells mean and what is the parade for?"
6. Classes
7. Cultural Events - Every year SMA celebrates my wife's birthday on September 16th with fireworks in the Jardin.
8. Day Trips - I recommend a trip to Canada de la Virgen Pyramid. You will get an overview of our history going back to the Mayans.Be sure to ask for Albert Coffey/ He will make the day trip memorable.
9. Tours
10. Markets
11. Restaurants - we have over 340 restaurants and this recently updated guide will help you out. My current favorites are La Parada, Firenze, and Don Lupe. I almost forgot don't miss Don Felix, Nirvana, Oko, and La Grotto, for pizza. Did I mention Fat Boy and Hanks for hamburgers or Birdies in DOCE 18?

You can buy her guide at the Biblioteca,

This is Not Usual in Mexico

The other day I took my propane tank and the Leland's tank to Don Pedro to exchange the tanks for filled tanks. I took a number and waited my turn. The Don Pedro employee said they didn't exchange tanks anymore. He said I would have to go someplace over by Liverpool, in the Luciernaga shopping center. Don Pedro is like a giant hardware store a mile or so south of the San Miguel glorietta. We had some trouble communicating in my meager Spanish.I hauled the tanks out to my car and I was about to take off when a well-dressed Mexican man knocked on my window. 

I couldn't understand him at first. I finally understood that if I would follow him, he would take me to the propane fill-up station.  He and an old man were in a white pickup. We turned right out of the lot onto the four-lane freeway, We drove about a half mile to a returno, turned around to the north and back to the glorietta. Turned right and up the hill to Liverpool. We passed the shopping center and came to another glorietta and turned right. We drove for another mile or so and took a left and drove north on a two-lane road.  

All the time I'm thinking am I nuts, following someone I don't know out into the country? After many topos, we turned left onto a dirt road that ended at Gas Exchange. I looked at my odometer and we had traveled about eight miles from Don Pedro. After a bit of waiting a man dressed in overalls came through the gate in a fence and my Mexican benefactor explained that I need the tanks filled. He waited with me. We managed to talk about his family and how long I've been in San Miguel. He has family here and a brother us the U.S. My new friend introduced himself as Aaron Martinez. 

Eventually, the Gas Exchange man came out with the two tanks. My tank was filled but the Leland's tank had a broken seal and needed a new valve.It couldn't be filled. Between the two men, I learned I needed a new Valve pronounced balba, Vs are Bs.  I would need to drive back to Don Pedro's buy a new balba, bring it back to the Gas Exchange man and he would put the new balba on and fill the tank. Aaron Martinez stayed with me the whole time and acted as my interpreter. We parted at the liverpool glorietta. I drove back to Don Pedros bought a new balba and returned to Gas Exchange. 

I thought Aaron's actions went above and beyond what anyone in Portland, Oregon would do. Is this unusual? You judge by this letter from Don McGilvrey: This text from a gringo friend of mine in San Miguel today . . .
“Today I am at a client's home and I am parked across the street from his house.   Been there an hour or so and it is raining cats and dogs.  I hear a car honking and look out the window and, wouldn’t you know it, there is police car parked next to my car.  I walked out and the cop was pointing out that my window was down a few inches.  The street was like a foot deep in water and I was fumbling for my keys.   He drove over up on the sidewalk and asked for my keys. I handed them to him. He drove across the street and parked up on the curb.  His partner got out and unlocked my door, put the key in the ignition and rolled up my window. Locked my door and he and his partner brought my keys back on the other side of the street.   He did this in the POURING ASS RAIN FOR ME!

Viva Mexico!”

I love these people

This Is the Best City in the World to Travel to

Mexico's San Miguel de Allende has been named the top urban city of 2017 by readers of Travel + Leisure magazine, for its seductive mix of open-air cafes, artisan culture, and colonial charm. In the 2017 edition of the publication's World's Best Awards which solicits reader input, San Miguel de Allende took top honors, marking a first for both the city and the awards, now in its 22th year. The city in central Mexico attracts visitors for its well-preserved historic center, colonial architecture, leafy plaza, and rows of independent boutiques which line old cobblestone streets. The fortified town, which was founded in the 16th century, was also inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2008.

The Way Back Poems of Addiction and Recovery

My first book ever is now available. If it hadn't been for San Miguel and the help I got from other writers, I probably wouldn't be out with this my first book of poems.

The Way Back

The Way Back details the power of poetry to illuminate the damage done by addiction and follows the process of recovery. As recovery in sobriety accumulates in days, months, then years, the senses open and feelings that have been anesthetized come to the surface. Those feelings are expressed in the poet's observations. The poetry is based on the true story of Michael Landfair's recovery and 29 years of sobriety. His sobriety wouldn't have been possible without the fellowship of Alcoholics. Anonymous.

Well I'll Be Darned

Well I'll be darned. I set down on the end of a bench in the Jardin after having a wonderful breakfast at La Vanda. I had my favorite Omelette Marguarite, which is like having Caprese in an omelette. Sitting on the other end of the bench was a woman with big strawberry blond hair. We struck up a conversation while we sat in the sun on a beautiful SMA day. She has been in SMA for sixteen years to my year and a half. She blogged. I don't know how that came up. I guess when I mentioned I was a freelance writer. Anyway, I was talking with Babs. Yes that Babs, that you see on the right on my blog roll. I have been reading her blog for many years before I ever lived in SMA, when it was just a glimmer of a hope to someday retire here.

She is a very pleasant woman, well known with 30,000 followers of her blog. While we sat and chatted many came up to chat with her. Seems like a small world sometimes here in the city. You never know who you will meet just sitting on a bench in the Jardin on a day before the Dia de Muertos, the square mobbed by people with nothing to do but enjoy the sunshine.

Babs, mucho gusto, I'm sure I'll see you around now that we've met.

The World’s Best Cities for Food

No matter where in the world you’re traveling, you’re going to eat. And if you plan to make that a very important part of your trip (which we suggest you do), consider heading to one of the world’s best cities for food.

7. San Miguel de Allende, Mexico

But this year, says Melanie Lieberman of Travel + Leisure, lesser-known destinations received accolades for their restaurants and cuisine, including the colonial city of San Miguel de Allende, in Mexico’s central highlands. Travelers will find bars serving small-batch mezcals from Oaxaca, and (believe it or not) a croissant at Cumpanio that will rival any ordered in Paris.

An Aljibe or Underground Water Cistern

The majority of Mexico is not served by pressurized water systems, requiring some ingenuity to regulate the water pressure in your home. 

On our way to Zacatecas two weeks ago, one particular view from our bus gave us a view of the roofs of a housing development. I noticed on every roof was a black, round cylinder called a tinaco. You'll notice that most houses have a tinaco on the roof. I asked a number of expats how the system works. Few could tell me.

Here's how it works. The city delivers water two or three hours a day to each house. In order to have water whenever it is needed, each house has an aljibe or underground water cistern. The aljibe has a float that shuts off intake when it is full. Then a pump sends the water to the tinaco on the roof and it has a float that shuts off intake when full. The system is now pressurized and showers, sinks, water heater, and toilets can draw on the water from the roof. It is gravity fed and that's why we have pressure when we take a shower. If power fails, as it can here, we still have water from the roof.

Sometimes you will see the tinaco on stilts, to give additional force of gravity to an upstairs shower.

Every house has an aljibe. Our house on Umaran had a had a cistern in the guest bedroom. It was just a cover in the floor by the bed. Here on Huertas, our cistern is off the terrace outside the kitchen, near the BBQ.

Book Review: The Jericho Journals By John Scherber

The sixteenth in the Paul Zacher series set in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico is just out. This is the finest book yet. John Scherber, who just signed a contract to make his “20 Centavos” into a TV series, has concocted a mystery that is filled with twists and turns, yet is introspective as well.

Edward Jericho, is known for his unannounced absences, but this time he has disappeared for 14 months. When Paul, Maya and Cody attend the auction of his personal effects, some things don’t square. There are the brushes left uncleaned and shoes in the closet, but for Cody there are the keys in the garage that indicate foul play. What do you do as an artist if you are excellent at what you do, as long as you copy others, but are short creativity? Scherber leads us down that path until we reach the surprising conclusion.

I can’t wait to see who plays the main characters in the TV show,

Take Action to Control Mosquitoes and Chikungunya in Sayulita

Yes I know we are San Miguel not Sayulita. This information applies to us as well.

 By: Trudy Rilling-Collins - The Mosquito Lady Jun 24, 2016

If you are ready to take action to control mosquitoes around your home, here are a few useful tips to help you. It really isn't that difficult to find and eliminate mosquito breeding sources around your home and protect yourself and your family from Chikungunya in Sayulita!

Here are 10 tips to guide you in your mosquito hunting! It can be quite fun and exciting and a great education for your children!

HAPPY HUNTING! *Mosquitoes always breed in standing water, look for the wigglers there!

1. Check to make sure fish are in all the water features around your garden. If not, put 10 small mosquito eating fish in every water feature.

2. Don’t store any containers that can trap water outside. Either discard containers or move to covered storage out of the rain.

3. Check for mosquito breeding in the three terrible T’s, TIRES, TANKS and TARPS

4. Look for coconuts that are collecting water and breeding mosquitoes. If found, cut into quarters and stack the pieces so that they can’t collect water. If you have large piles you may want to consider removing them.

5. Check water storage tanks to make sure there are no entry points for mosquitoes. Use heavy duty tape, pipe fitting, silicon caulking and netting to seal any holes or gaps!

6. Check to make sure the vent pipe on every septic tank (junction box) is screened, and that junctions are completely sealed at the ground surface with concrete grout, without any cracks or holes that allow mosquitoes to come and go from the tank.

7. Check for mosquito breeding in wells, rain gutters, cut bamboo poles and vases.

8. Change the water in pet enclosures daily! Scrub pet water dishes daily to kill mosquito eggs on the sides of the dishes.

9. Avoid rooting plant cuttings in water over long periods of time and check greenhouse and nursery areas for water filled containers.

10. Share what you know about controlling mosquitoes with your neighbors to create a larger “Zone of Safety”! Organize a neighborhood clean-up to get rid of trash and containers that hold water that could be breeding mosquitoes.

TAKE ACTION NOW!

Book Review: Walking Tours of Queretaro of Santiago By William J. Conaway

Book Review:
Four Stars Walking Tours of Queretaro of Santiago
By William J. Conaway
Print Length: 39 pages
Publisher: Publicaciones Papelandia; 1 edition (January 1, 2008)
Kindle Price $5.99
Publication Date: January 1, 2008 ASIN: B008I51A2Q

I chose to buy Conaway’s book for several reasons. He came to Mexico in June of 1961 and published a series of short books about walking tours of various cities of Mexico including Guanajuato, Puebla, San Luis Potosi, Taxco, Morelia, etc. He also shares information about driving tours, Mexican food and history for Gringos.

The second reason I bought the book: four of us headed out at noon for Queretaro from San Miguel de Allende. I had a doctor’s appointment at 5:30. I figured that we would have plenty of time to see a little of the city and have lunch before my appointment. However, I got lost on the way, I chose to go to Celaya then to Queretaro. Getting lost and wading our way through long construction lines took over four hours, so we didn’t get to see much at all.

I want to go back and do it right.

Conaway spends the first 40% of the 39 pages telling us the history of the people who lived in the area and gives us a list of 25 places to see on the two walking tours. They can be accomplished on one day, but with so much to see, it sounds like one should spend two days. The history is very interesting as are the places to see.

I would give the book five stars for the writing and the history except for lack of maps and several errors that should be corrected. My downloaded copy has two opening pages and two bios. In addition the author’s picture comes out muddled.

I would like to see more photos of the sights to see on the tour and arrange the photos so they can be seen on one page instead of being split over two pages.

Condé Nast Traveler magazine's top 10 cities for Americans to retire to

By Gary Peterson, gpeterson@bayareanewsgroup.com

1. Coronado, Panama: "Pacific Coast beaches and perfect sunsets"

2. Penang, Malaysia: "Historic architecture, a thriving art scene"

3. Cascais, Portugal: "10 major golf courses, a castle, miles of cobblestone streets"

4. San Miguel de Allende, Mexico: "Art scene, colonial charm, and affordable living"

5. Killarney, Ireland: "Ranked high for safety, cleanliness, and overall charm"

6. Corozal, Belize: "A gateway to world-class snorkeling and scuba diving"

7. Concord, CA: "Excellent health care facilities, and free community activities throughout the year"

8. Grand Haven, MI: "A lakefront star with a boardwalk, 90,000-gallon musical fountain"

9. Santa Fe, NM: "A friendly community of all ages, and warm days with low humidity"

10. Louisville KY: "Appealing for retirees for its pace of life, climate, and culture"

Medical & Dental Care

I am impressed with the Medical & Dental care here in San Miguel. Women here can have face lifts done by the revered Dr. Barrera and his beautiful doctor assistant for $6600. Included is a pick up and delivery to and from the hospital, four day stay in the hospital, personal home visit by the doctor to remove stitches, and all sorts of hand holding before and after. Compare that to the U.S. at three or four times the price and a one day stay in the hospital.

For me, I had a tooth that was bothering me. Turns out I had developed a cavity under the crown. The dentist examined me, took an x-ray, and sat down with me in his office. I will have to have a root canal and a new crown, he said It would cost me 8,500  pesos. That's about $480 to $500. I would imagine the same thing in the states to be as much as $3,000.

Did I hear medical tourism?

Artists San Miguel

A Peter Leventhal

What a wonderful day Bev and I had yesterday. First stop was Saturday Market, a teeming spot to sit with strong coffee and two great cinnamon rolls with rasas raisins. Bev and I sat down at a table in the shade that we shared with a very pretty young woman, a gringa. I commented to her that she had beautiful blue eyes. She traveled as Mary and she her destination would be the tip of Argentina. From there she hoped to catch a ride to Antartica. We enjoyed talking with her. She was 28 and had the same way of talking as my daughter Erica. She had traveled throughout Asia and now from San Miguel her goal was to walk, bus or travel by car...alone!

So much like Erica who traveled alone through eastern Europe.

We told her we were next going to the Aldea and the book fair put on by the Literary Sala. Mary asked if she could tag along. My gosh, we met people we knew outside the doors of the market, then another on the street on the way. Sheila met Mary and when she heard she was going to Columbia, raved about the not to be missed coffee plantations. Then when we walked into the room where books and art was being sold we met Marcia Loy and Steven. I introduced Mary to Marcia and said that Mary was headed to Antartica. Marcia had been there and enthused to Mary about the place. We introduced her to John Scherber and Kristine, and Lynda Schor. In the end, Mary siad the was headed next to Parque Jaurez to look at the art. We wished her a safe trip and silently said a prayer for her safety. She has more courage than I.

While at the Literary Sala I met Margaret Paul author of Conversations with Artists in San Miguel de Allende. More of her book later. I met Sher Davidson author of Under the Salvadoran Sun. She is a transported Oregonian, who lived on 30th between Siskiyou and Stanton. We lived on 32nd Ave between Brazee and Knott. I met Pat Hirschl author of Winter Bloom, who will be reading at the Literary Sala on Thursday Decembwer 10th. I met artist Susan Dorf who every other week has a cartoon in the Attencion. Finally, I bought two books from Lynda Schor and Bev bought a handmade bracelet from Kristine Scherber.

Christmas At Fabrica Aurora

Then it was on to the Art Walk at Fabrica Aurora. This is a wonderful event each month. You get to talk with the artists in their studios. There was Mary Rapp, at 90 still producing cutting edge art. Mary Calderoni was beautiful as always and she and Bev have a special bond. The were Crystalized every week. Crystal Calderoni led them through intense workouts. We spoke with Cecilia Rivera about her art. There were several that would fit in a home of our own. I had a wonderful chat with two men, partners for thirty years, who got married on July 3rd in New York, three years ago. After they were married, New York seemed to celebrate the next day with a massive display of fireworks.

A Peter Leventhal

Finally, I chatted with Peter Leventhal. I've been following the progress of a very large painting that he has been working on for more than three months. I would love to have it. He is a sweet man, suffering from Parkinsons. He talks so softly, I really have to concentrate to get all he says. I was looking online at Margaret Paul's Conversations with Artists in San Miguel de Allend and found that it has a chapter on Peter. It helped me understand Peter's influences, Raul Dufy. I would love to have something of his, too.

To top the evening Marsha, Darryl, Bev and I took a taxi to La Gratta for pizza and Esther, the owner, shook our hands and welcomed us to the best pizza in SMA.

Parroquia de San Miguel Arcangel

A reviewer on TripAdvisor said, "You could spend an entire day just sitting at the Parroguia and watching. It is like a movie...people walking, people singing, burros with tequila, weddings, classes, dances, food carts, merchants, and oh the bells...the bells. I spent an entire day watching the Christmas tree bring built-it was amazing. AND oh the church. SMA I love you.

Friends of ours, Richard and Jerry, recently visited our city and we captured these images at the Parroquia de San Miguel Arcangel.